Is your perception of business hindering your company’s success?
Posted by Tim Bergman on February 28, 2009
It’s easy for companies to take a look at successful businesses (e.g. Zappos) and wish they could be like them. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s actually a healthy thing to do. We should always be striving to improve the way we do things. But what’s the first obstacle that stands in the way and keeps companies from excelling in their efforts? The answer lies in how we think of or define a company.
It’s funny that most people have a tendency to think of a company as a building or a business ideal. But it’s not the ideal, the building, or even the computer systems — it’s the people inside that set the standards for their own success.
So, let’s change our perspective for just a few moments and go back and take another look my opening statement, except this time we’ll reword it just a bit to align with our new way of thinking.
It’s easy for people to take a look at successful businesses (e.g. Zappos) and wish that their people could be like that.
See the difference? We need to shift the focus back to the fact that companies and businesses are really groups of people. Of course, when you do that you’ll also realize that even those successful businesses that we idolize are really only successful because of the people inside that are doing all the real work.
So, no matter where you work, stop thinking of your company as an “object” and realize that they are really “people”. And it’s these people – like you and me – that actually make things happen and get things done. We are the forces that can drive a business to excellence or mediocrity.
Once you’ve made that shift in your thinking you’ll get a better understanding of how your company’s success really is affected by you. Then you’ll be ready to explore the reasons that other companies (aka people) are so successful.
Photo by jlwelsh
